Rahul Gandhi Questioned For Over 10 Hours, Summoned Again Today

Congress's Rahul Gandhi was questioned for more than ten hours yesterday in an alleged money laundering case connected to the National Herald newspaper. Sources said he has been summoned again today for further questioning.

The Enforcement Directorate had summoned Rahul Gandhi and mother, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, for questioning in alleged money laundering linked to the National Herald newspaper. The agency filed the money laundering case recently after a trial court took note of a private complaint against Young Indian Pvt Ltd.

The private complainant had levelled allegations of cheating, conspiracy, and criminal breach of trust in the purported acquisition of the Associated Journals Limited -- which ran the newspaper -- by Young Indian Pvt Ltd.

The Congress has alleged that the questioning is part of the ruling  BJP's "vendetta politics".

Mr Gandhi's questioning started this morning amid a police crackdown on a massive Congress protest.

The Congress had planned protests across the country outside the offices of the Enforcement Directorate. In Delhi, senior leaders including party MPs were to march with Mr Gandhi from the party office to the offices of the Enforcement Directorate.

But the Delhi Police, which had refused permission for the protest march last evening, started action early this morning, rounding up Congress workers and leaders.

With the police barricading the ED office, the top leaders who accompanied Mr Gandhi sat on protest outside the barricade after he went in.

Shortly after, many leaders, including P Chidambaram, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhari, KC Venugopal, Deepender Hooda and Jairam Ramesh were detained and ferried to the police station on buses.

Videos emerged of leaders being manhandled. Mr Venugopal was seen physically picked up and carried towards a waiting bus. Mr Chidambaram had a fractured rib after being pushed by Delhi Police, said senior leader Randeep Surjewala.

Another Congress leader, Pramod Tiwari, was thrown on the road and he suffered a head injury, Mr Surjewala added.

Sources said leaders who were detained at the Tughlak Road police station -- including KC Venugopal, Harish Rawat, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury -- have been released.